On March 21, the 2025 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS 2025) announced its esteemed Basic Science Lifetime Award (BSLA) recipients at a press conference held at Tsinghua University. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
On March 21, the 2025 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS 2025) announced its esteemed Basic Science Lifetime Award (BSLA) recipients at a press conference held at Tsinghua University. 6 globally acclaimed scientists, including Nobel laureates Samuel Chao Chung Ting, David Jonathan Gross, Steven Chu, Turing Award winner Robert Endre Tarjan, Fields Medalist mathematician Shigefumi Mori, Wolf Prize winner George Lusztig were recognized for their groundbreaking contributions to Mathematics, Physics, Information Science and Engineering.
The event was attended by Shing-Tung Yau, Chairman of ICBS; Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, Turing Award laureate and 2024 BSLA recipient; Caucher Birkar, Fields Medalist and professor at Tsinghua University; and Wang Yifang, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These luminaries provided in-depth analyses of the 6 awardees' transformative work and its profound impact on their respective fields.
Established in 2023, the BSLA honors extraordinary scientists whose work in basic science have been both outstanding and innovative and have, over the course of the past thirty years or more, brought about fundamental change in his or her discipline. This year's recipients have each achieved landmark breakthroughs that continue to inspire future generations of researchers.
The 2025 BSLA in Mathematics is awarded to
Professor Shigefumi Mori
Kyoto University
"For his fundamental contributions to algebraic geometry, the Minimal Model Program, and profound influence in the classification of higher-dimensional algebraic varieties."
Professor George Lusztig
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
"For his unparalleled contributions to representation theory, and the profound influence of the theory of Deligne–Lusztig varieties, and Kazhdan–Lusztig theory."
The 2025 BSLA in Physics is awarded to
Professor David Jonathan Gross
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
"For the discovery of asymptotic freedom and other pioneering contributions to elementary particle physics and string theory."
Professor Samuel Chao Chung Ting
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
"For his transformative discovery of the J/ψ meson, groundbreaking contributions to space-based research, and visionary leadership in global collaborations in experimental physics."
The 2025 BSLA in Information Science and Engineering is awarded to
Professor Steven Chu
Stanford University
"For his transformative contributions to atomic physics, biophysics, precision measurements, and energy innovations."
Professor Robert Endre Tarjan
Princeton University
"For his pioneering contributions to computer science, invention of novel efficient graph algorithms and data structures, and their profound influence in data science."
The 2024 International Congress of Basic Science brought together nearly 1,000 top scientists from over 40 countries and regions, featuring more than 500 cutting-edge academic presentations. The event attracted over 5 million participants online and offline, fostering a vibrant platform for global scientific exchange. Building on this success, the 2025 congress, scheduled for July, aims to further strengthen international collaboration and advance foundational scientific research.
The event is jointly funded and hosted by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the China Ministry of Science and Technology, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the International Consortium of Chinese Mathematicians. Co-organizers include:
- The Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission,
- The Management Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park,
- The Beijing Association for Science and Technology,
- The Beijing Huairou District People's Government,
- The Management Committee of Beijing Huairou Science City, and
- The Yanqi Lake Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (BIMSA).
The Yau Mathematical Sciences Center at Tsinghua University serves as the supporting organization.
